Parents of Franklin Hesse, Part 3

Let’s take a closer look at Franklin’s mother, Magdalena.

Genealogy Question:

What is Franklin Hesse’s mother’s given name?

We have an example of her signature in an 1870 court document¹Winnebago County WI Circuit Court, Vol 6, Case 3694; filed 6 Dec 1870; Magdalena Hesse vs John Hesse, her signature. which demonstrates that she spelled her first name: Magdalena.

When Franklin married in 1882,²Winnebago County WI Marriage Register Book 6, page 154, document 1121. Marriage Certificate of Franklin Hesse and Karolina Kroll [sic]. Name of mother of husband: Mary Magdalena Hesse. he listed his mother’s name as Mary Magdalena. To date, I have found no other documents with Mary (or Maria) as her first name. Note: In German naming conventions, it is not unusual for a person to commonly use a name other than their first given name.

Let’s look for clues to her family name
or auf Deutsch: ihr Familienname:

It is not possible to know the exact spelling of her maiden name, but we know that it is a German name and that it likely rhymes with “freeze.” Of the names listed in the above table, there is only one for which she may have been the original informant: her 1860 Marriage Certificate. Therefore, until there is additional information, I will refer to Franklin’s mother as:

Magdalena Frees

Early Life

At this time, not much is known of Magdalena’s early life. These details are gleaned from her marriage record:

• Born October 16, 1830 in the Kingdom of Hanover
• Father Wilhelm Frees
• Mother Maria

Coming to America

Magdalena came to America sometime between 1848 and the early 1850s. The first time that she is listed on an American census record is in Boston in 1855.⁸1855 Massachusetts state census, Suffolk County, population schedule, City of Boston, Ward 7, page 118, Volume 35 13, for Magdalena Fries, line 9 in the Jonathan Howe household. By that time, she had already been married and divorced (according to unnamed sources in her 1871 obituary).  Her sister, Caroline “Lena” Minck, also lived in Boston in 1855.

By June of 1860, Lena Minck, her family and Magdalena lived together in Neenah, Wisconsin.⁹1860 Wisconsin Federal Census, Winnebago County, Village of Neenah, page 61, dwelling 531, family 470 for Henry Minck. Also residing in Neenah was a friend from “the fatherland,” Theodore Brown.

Marriage to John Hesse

It is interesting to note that John’s age was not as precisely given as Magdalena’s; John was actually 6 weeks shy of his 20th birthday. Why did a 30-year-old divorcee marry a 19-year-old?

Children

During her 10-year marriage to John Hesse, she birthed seven children; five of whom survived her: 

• Franklin, who married Caroline Krull and homesteaded in Dakota Territory;
• August, who died in his 18th year;
• Caroline, who married John Freyberger and homesteaded in Dakota Territory. They had no children;
• Henrietta, who was possibly the same Henrietta “Etta” adopted by her Aunt Johanna “Anna” Hesse Rippberger.¹⁰Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, 10 June 1898 reply by John Rippberger, “Stepchild Etta.” Henrietta married Charles Hallin, had no children and took her own life;
• Edward, alternately identified as “James, 8, with Mr. Moore in Illinois” in 1878.¹¹Wisconsin State School for Boys Intake Record for August Hesse, Wisconsin State Historical Society Manuscript Collection.

Magdalena’s life with John was stormy. He physically abused her. But, also (according to the divorce complaint) “for over two years last past he has almost wholly neglected to furnish anything for the support of this plaintiff [Magdalena] and her children, but on the contrary has been in the habit of repeatedly and in spite of the objections of this plaintiff taking and carrying away wheat and other grains and products raised on the farm of this plaintiff and which this plaintiff and family needed for their support and selling the same and spending the proceeds thereof for liquor.”¹²Winnebago County WI Circuit Court, Vol 6, Case 3694; filed 6 Dec 1870; Magdalena Hesse vs John Hesse.

In a clever move, 15 months before the divorce complaint, Magdalena became the sole owner of the farm.

On September 1, 1868, John and Magdalena bought the farm from his parents.¹³Winnebago County WI Deed Book 66, page 194. Less than two weeks later, she purchased the farm back from her in-laws without her husband.¹⁴Winnebago County WI Deed Book 66, page 281, 14 September 1868. I believe that John’s parents knew of John’s alcoholism, negligence and abuse; they likely sought to insure that their daughter-in-law and their grandchildren had the farm income.

The Divorce

December 6, 1870, Magdalena’s attorney filed a divorce complaint with the Winnebago County Circuit Court. She was rightly concerned that John would harm her. In the complaint, “the plaintiff prays that said defendant [John Hesse] may be prohibited from imposing any restraint on the personal liberty of this plaintiff and said children from in any manner interfering with her or them or with the said farm and said personal property thereon and that he may be restrained from going on said farm or visiting this plaintiff at any time at the house thereon or staying thereat during pendency of this action.” This was not just a divorce application, it was a pleas for a restraining order.

Be warned: there is personal testimony to the abuse. CLICK Here for 1870 Divorce Transcription

The divorce was granted on December 28, 1870. Not only was the marriage dissolved, but Magdalena was given sole custody of the children. She was given ownership of all the real estate and household furnishings, too. In the decree, the judge added a final punishment: John was to pay her attorney’s fees.

The Final Weeks

A few days after the divorce was finalized, John returned to the farm. In The Saturday Evening Press (Menasha, Wisconsin) on Saturday, January 7, 1871 reported:

       In Justice Court. – In the case of the state of Wisconsin vs. John Hesse, before C. C. Townsend, Justice, complaint was made by his former wife, (who had but a short time since been divorced from him for cruel treatment) charging him with an assault with a deadly weapon, in her own house on New Years’ day.

       He was arrested by Marshall Ellis and cause continued by the court for a few days to give him time to sober off, during which time he was committed to the county jail. On Wednesday A. M. the suit was called and the attorneys in the case being both engaged before another court, the case was continued again, and the prisoner placed in the custody of Marshal Ellis.

       But for some unknown reason the prisoner was allowed to slip; he went as far as Oshkosh (probably attracted thitherward, from a sense of his guilt) but on Thursday noon, he returned again to the house of his late wife, and sought to renew his devotions.

       But with her, forbearance, had ceased to be a virtue and she very judiciously, declined his proffering. He then compelled her to get him some dinner and then retired in one of her beds.

       Sheriff Giddings was sent for, and procured his arrest again, brought him again before Justice Townsend on a complaint for breaking the peace and he was required to give bonds in the sum of $800, or be remanded to the county jail for six months.

       Failing to secure bail, Sheriff Giddings with his prisoner, took the 8 P.M. train for Oshkosh and lodged him in hands of Sheriff Woodworth.

On February 24, 1871, John broke out of the County jail at Oshkosh. He returned to Neenah and stayed with his brother, Julius Hesse. The next day, despite his wife’s protests, Julius purchased a revolver and gave it to his brother. 

Magdalena died at the hands of her husband on February 25, 1871. 

CLICK HERE for March 4, 1871 Newspaper Transcriptions of the details.

Grave marker for Magdalene Hesse at Oak Hill Cemetery, Neenah WI

There are a lot of research avenues.

Where should we look to:

Confirm if her birthdate (on her tombstone) is correct?
Locate Magdalena’s birth city?
Confirm the identity of her parents and thereby her family name?
Find her fifth child, Edward?
Document more of her life before she married John?

For inquisitive descendants of Magdalena Frees, it is imperative that we continue to search for her. According to the Library of Congress in its 35-page German Immigrant Arrivals resource guide:

For genealogists researching their German immigrant ancestors, … finding their hometowns in Germany, [is] the vital next step in German genealogical research. Unfortunately, there is no central source for German genealogical records. Therefore, unless one knows the specific place of origin, it is almost impossible to locate the German religious and civil records that are so necessary to tracing a family in Germany.